Dr. Richmond Sparks, band director,said the honor isa first for the current band members and himself. He hasbeenat the University of Maryland for 29 years.

"I got the phone call and it was just an amazing gentleman on the other end of the phone. He was the chair of the parade committee, and he said 'How are you doing this afternoon?' And I said, 'Well why don't you tell me how I'm doing this afternoon.'"

The good news traveled fastamongthe band community.

"One of our friends, Kevin, was in the office when Dr. Sparks got the call. And so he dropped into my apartment and said 'Hey, guess what I just found out?'" said Patrick Benton as fellow drum major Brendan Kelly responds with laughter.

"I was actually shopping with my friend on the dance team and she'd gotten an email and next thing you know, all of our Facebook was like blowing up," said Stephanie Groff who plays the trumpet and will graduate this May.

The band'shard work has paid offin the past. This is not thefirst time the band have been recognized.In 2010 the band won a CBS sponsored contest as the best college band to play the 'Hawaii-Five-O' theme song.

"Nothing seemed out of the realm of possibility for us! So, literally whenever Dr. Sparks said, 'We're going to do something,' we rally the troops and get it done," said Nikhil Sinha, senior tuba player.

The contestprovided theband with $25,000as the winner.The money enabled the band topurchase brand new uniforms.

The uniforms will debutat the Inaugural Parade.

"They'repride...they are the University of Maryland pride," said Troiano.

The University Of Maryland's marching band has performed in four other Presidential Inaugurations in the past.

The last one being in Ronald Reagan's second term in 1985when the parade was canceled due to the extremely cold weather.